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The East Village Magazine – June/July 2025
The combined June and July edition of East Village Magazine is now available online! Dive into the latest stories, community updates, and local insights before it hits newsstands. Check out the electronic edition today and stay connected with all that’s happening in Flint’s East Village. View...
read moreFindings of year-long Flint area immigration study revealed
By Harold C. Ford On June 12, 2025, the International Center of Greater Flint (ICGF) revealed the findings of its roughly year-long study to determine the extent to which the Flint community is welcoming of immigrant populations. Key findings of the study were presented to some 50 persons during a meeting at the Gloria Coles Flint Public Library by lead researcher Sasha Drummond-Lewis (Sociology, UM-Flint). “Flint is already a multicultural community,” Drummond-Lewis began, with an estimated 10,000 to 11,000 immigrants living within Genesee...
read moreWhere to celebrate Juneteenth in Flint
By EVM Staff While Juneteenth has been recognized as a federal holiday for just four years, it’s been a celebrated tradition in Flint for over 50. If you haven’t yet made plans – or if you’d like to make a few more – here’s a list of events this week to honor the end of slavery in the United States: Thursday, June 19 Juneteenth at the Flint Children’s Museum 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Flint Children’s Museum (1602 University Ave., Flint) The museum will be offering pay-what-you-can entry and offering celebratory crafts and storytelling....
read moreParks & Rec in Flint and Beyond: Riverbank Park
By Christina Collie This is the seventh in a series about parks and recreational areas to explore in Flint and surrounding areas within 20 miles, presented in no particular order. Flint Riverfront and Riverbank Park 100 Saginaw Street Flint, MI 48502 Hours: Dawn – Dusk Have you ever seen photos of a place and instantly felt like you HAD to explore there? That was my experience with Flint’s downtown riverfront. I had seen photos, taken at the park’s amphitheater during one of the many concerts or festivals held regularly over the summer, and...
read moreCommentary: Dealing with the emotional turmoil of Trump
By Paul Rozycki Even for those of us who are political junkies, trying to keep up with the Trump chaos of tariff wars, stock market crashes, federal employee firings and re-hirings, dubious deportations, attacks on colleges, and endless court challenges to most of his executive actions can be emotionally exhausting. There is no doubt that it is important to stay informed and stay active in opposing what we are seeing happen to our government today. Recent protests are a positive sign that the opposition to Trump’s actions is building. The...
read more2025 season underway for Flint City Bucks and Flint City AFC
By Harold C. Ford The Flint City Bucks, Flint’s men’s semi-professional soccer team, began the 2025 season undefeated through their first three matches, besting opponents six goals to none. The Bucks then suffered their first defeat in a 2-0 shutout loss to Midwest United FC on June 4. The Flint City AFC women’s team also started the 2025 campaign with three wins and no losses while outscoring their opposition 12 goals to one. Flint City Bucks May 21: The Bucks started the season with a 4-0 win over Oakland County FC at Atwood Stadium...
read moreFlint Firebirds 2024-25 season ends in first round, eyes now on next season
By Nathan Waters The Flint Firebirds ended their season on April 4 in a 5-1 series defeat to the Kitchener Rangers, wrapping up their 2024-25 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) play. For Firebirds fans it was a sad, though not-unexpected, conclusion to another exciting season before an offseason of flux for Flint’s junior hockey team. Regular Season Flint started the season on Friday, Sept. 7 with a 7-4 win over last year’s champions, the London Knights. However, the Knights roared back the following evening, beating Flint by a score of 5-2. This...
read moreParks & Rec in Flint and Beyond: Downtown Fenton Parks
By Christina Collie This is the sixth in a series about parks and recreational areas to explore in Flint and surrounding areas within 20 miles, presented in no particular order. Mill Pond Park and Rackham Park 301 S. Leroy Street Fenton, MI 48430 Hours: Dawn – Dusk Downtown Fenton features quite a few parks, but Mill Pond Park and Rackham Park are two of the easiest to find since they are right across Leroy Street from one another. Plus, with spring here, it’s the perfect time to visit, as Mill Pond and Rackham are great for families with...
read moreVillage Life: On becoming a ‘daywalker’
By Kate Stockrahm For the majority of my life, I was a night owl. I loved the energy and fashion of groups promenading down city sidewalks, the music spilling out of dimly lit bars as patrons briefly opened a front door, the often too-loud conversations of couples and confidants who’d had a bit too much before sauntering home. Perhaps this was because I worked in the hospitality industry through most of my twenties, and even on the bad nights, something about leaving work under starlight and street lamps to grab a last-call drink with my...
read moreRecount yields no change to outcome of Flint City Council seat primary
By EVM Staff Beverly Biggs-Leavy and A.C. Dumas will officially advance to a special election for Flint City Council’s Third Ward seat after the results of a recount today. On May 22, 2025, the Genesee County Clerk/Registrar Domonique Clemons confirmed that a recount of votes from a May 6 primary election yielded no change in results, with Biggs-Leavy and Dumas at 165 votes each, LaShawn Johnson at 162, and Rich Jones at 21. The recount took place today at the Genesee County Administration Building with results made available earlier...
read moreRecount called for vacant Flint City Council seat primary election results
By EVM Staff The Genesee County Board of Canvassers has scheduled a recount of the May 6 special primary election results for Flint’s vacant Third Ward City Council seat. The recount will take place on Thursday, May 22, starting at 9 a.m. in the basement of the Genesee County Administration Building, according to a press release from the Genesee County Clerk/Registrar’s Office. Genesee County Clerk/Registrar Domonique Clemons confirmed to East Village Magazine on Monday evening that the recount was requested by the primary’s...
read moreA passion for ice hockey lands Rico Phillips in local sports hall of fame
By Harold C. Ford While many of Flint’s most notable athletes found success in basketball, football, baseball, and track and field, Rico Phillips found it in ice hockey. The son of an African American father and a German immigrant mother, Phillips grew up in Flint and graduated from Flint Southwestern High School in 1987. In March, he was inducted into the Greater Flint African American Sports Hall of Fame (GFAASHOF), making him one of just four Flint athletes feted in the sport of ice hockey between GFAASHOF and the Greater Flint Area Sports...
read moreEducation Beat: Flint Community Schools receives $35.9m to close underused facilities, ‘maximize’ use of remaining schools
By Harold C. Ford In another big number for Flint Community Schools (FCS), the Michigan Department of Education (MDOE) and FCS announced on April 24, 2025 that the school district had been awarded $35.9 million to close its “underutilized facilities.” More specifically, the money is meant for FCS “to reduce the number of active school buildings from 11 to seven by closing four underutilized facilities and maximizing the use of the remaining schools.” In all, three Michigan districts were awarded $75 million in grants “to more efficiently...
read moreThe East Village Magazine – May 2025
The May 2025 issue of #EastVillageMagazine is on newsstands now! Can’t wait for your issue? Click below for a digital copy now. Happy reading! View...
read moreFlint holds Third Ward Special Primary Election today
By EVM Staff It’s voting day for residents of Flint’s Third Ward. According to a press release from Flint City Clerk Davina Donahue, all Third Ward voting precincts will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today, May 6, 2025, to fill the Flint City Council seat left vacant following Councilman Quincy Murphy’s passing in September 2024. The candidates on the ballot are: Beverly Biggs-Leavy, A.C. Dumas, LaShawn Johnson, and Richard Jones. The two candidates with the most votes will go on to a general election for the Third Ward seat...
read moreOpinion: Mott Community College Board should back up to go forward
By Paul Jordan Mott Community College (MCC) was very fortunate to enjoy two decades of relatively harmonious leadership from its two most recent presidents, Dr. Richard Shaink and Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffia. Unfortunately, we are now in a period of drama and intrigue. In my opinion, the majority of trustees on Mott’s current Board have failed in their duty to conduct the public’s business in a transparent, ethical, and legal manner. The result has been to substitute secrecy, doubt, and speculation for what would normally be an...
read moreParks & Rec in Flint and Beyond: Chevy Commons
By Christina Collie This is the fifth in a series about parks and recreational areas to explore in Flint and surrounding areas within 20 miles, presented in no particular order. Chevy Commons Park 200 N. Chevrolet Avenue Flint, MI 48503 Hours: Dawn – Dusk Located near Kettering University in a former river valley, Chevy Commons has strong ties to the history of General Motors (GM) and Flint. This 60+ acre park was once a sprawling manufacturing complex referred to as “Chevy in the Hole” – the location of a landmark event in labor history as...
read moreCommentary: The turmoil of Trump’s first 100 days, impact on Michigan
By Paul Rozycki With all the executive orders, reversals and delays of those orders, court rulings, and appeals of those court rulings, it’s increasingly difficult to gauge the impact of President Trump’s first 100 days. There are already over 100 lawsuits aimed at blocking the president’s executive orders, and the turmoil they’ve levied on the national and international level is increasing doubts over the United States’ global role and threatening democracy itself. But for those of us in Michigan there is also much to worry about locally...
read moreVillage Life: I’m bad at running away
By Kate Stockrahm When I was around five-years-old, I ran away from home. Well, more accurately, I ran away as far as I dared to go without permission, which meant I went to the fenced-in backyard of my family’s suburban Detroit home. I can’t remember what happened over dinner to make kindergarten Kate absolutely sure she could never speak with her mom again, though I’m certain younger me was right to think so. (I was – and remain – pretty stubborn.) But what I do remember about that experience is that I was resolute in my mission to start...
read moreEducation Beat: Shake-ups at highest level of government may put research funding at risk for local universities
By Nathan Waters Given a recent funding freeze and layoffs at the National Science Foundation (NSF), millions in grant money may be in limbo for the University of Flint-Michigan (UM-Flint) and Kettering University. Since its creation in 1950 to “promote the progress of science,” “advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare,” and “secure the national defense,” the NSF has supported the work of 262 Nobel Prize winners and 353,000 scientists, engineers, educators and doctors. With an annual budget of over $8 billion, it funds...
read moreThe East Village Magazine – April 2025
The April 2025 issue of #EastVillageMagazine is available bellow for download and viewing.. Happy reading: View...
read moreVillage Life: East Village Magazine, an old friend made new
By Nic Custer In the 1990s, one afternoon each month, my father would pick me up from school in his Plymouth minivan and instead of heading home, I’d help distribute this magazine. Dwarfed by seats stacked high with rubber-banded East Village Magazine issues – counted earlier that day by volunteers who’d batched them into the exact numbers needed for each neighborhood drop – we would drive across the city, listening to “Science Friday” or another public radio show, and pull up to a home where I’d hop out and drop off a batch. Even at that...
read moreEducation Beat: COVID-relief confusion for Flint schools after announcement by Trump administration
By Harold C. Ford Flint Community Schools (FCS) finds itself in increased fiscal uncertainty after U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced on March 28, 2025, that the deadline on federal reimbursement for COVID-related projects was changed to that very day at 5 p.m. Prior to McMahon’s announcement, the deadline had been one year later – March 28, 2026 – for reimbursement of pre-approved projects. The amount in question for FCS is a staggering $15,603,029.05 – more than any other school district in the state – according to...
read moreParks & Rec in Flint and Beyond: Jack N. Abernathy Park
By Christina Collie This is the fourth in a series about parks and recreational areas to explore in Flint and surrounding areas within 20 miles, presented in no particular order. Jack N. Abernathy Park 402 Dayton St Davison, MI 48423 Hours: 8 am – 8 pm Jack N. Abernathy Park offers a variety of amenities that cater to diverse recreational interests. Nature lovers can enjoy the paved walking trails that meander through the park’s scenic landscape. The Black Creek Nature Trail, a 1.6-mile paved path, runs along Black Creek and connects with the...
read moreEducation Beat: Diminished enrollment and test data dismay Flint Board of Ed president
By Harold C. Ford “Evidently there is something missing.” – Joyce Ellis-McNeal, president, Flint Board of Education, Feb. 19, 2025 An outpouring of frustration by Flint Board of Education (FBOE) President Joyce Ellis-McNeal – fueled by persistently diminished student enrollment and less-than-average state test scores – was a centerpiece at the body’s 3.5-hour meeting on Feb. 19, 2025. Following a presentation by Wendell Greene and Tracy Harris – representatives of Alabama-based Greene Education Services who were looking to partner with Flint...
read moreThe Kildee Legacy: From Flint to Lansing to Washington and back again
By Paul Rozycki Those of us in Flint and Genesee County owe much to the many families that made our city and county what it is today. Flint wouldn’t be Flint without the early and continuing influence of the Motts, the Ballengers, the Dorts, the Durants, the Whitings, and many others. In recent years, though, a list of other well-known families have also played a critical role in the politics of Flint and the surrounding area. Those include many of the names we see on our ballots each year like the Cherry, Neeley, Clack, Stanley, McCree,...
read moreReview: ‘A Driving Beat’ premieres at The Rep
By Nathan Waters Saturday night saw the world premiere of “A Driving Beat” at Flint’s Elgood Theatre. The original play by Jordan Ramirez Puckett focuses on a mother, Diane (played by Dani Cochrane), and son, Mateo (Mikee Loria), traveling cross-country from Ohio to San Diego, California in search of answers on the circumstances of Mateo’s birth and subsequent adoption. Throughout the performance’s 90 minute runtime, viewers are treated to Mateo’s musical daydreams as he uses the sounds of the road to process his feelings of nervousness at...
read moreSports Beat: Flint Central’s ‘Lightning’ Ervin Leavy Jr. finds rewarding career at UM-Flint
By Harold C. Ford Ervin Leavy Jr. was motivated to improve his basketball game after being bested again and again by his older brother at the playground behind Flint’s Gundry School on Flint’s north side. “He would beat up on me every day until I finally beat him when I was about 13-years-old,” Leavy Jr. recollected in a December 2024 interview with East Village Magazine (EVM). “That meant a lot to me,” said Leavy Jr. “That was the best feeling in the world.” Leavy Jr. went on to turn those playground beatdowns into basketball success at...
read moreThe East Village Magazine – March 2025
The March issue of #EastVillageMagazine is hitting newsstands soon! Can’t wait for your issue? Click below for a digital copy now. Happy reading! View...
read moreWilliam Harvey comes back to his earliest roots in Flint
By Jan Worth-Nelson Violinist William Harvey, featured performer at the FIM Flint Symphony Orchestra’s concert on Saturday, March 15, has amassed a rich and impassioned musical life in performing, teaching, and composing internationally. A longtime resident of Mexico City, he is concertmaster for the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, a two-time Latin Grammy award nominee, and founder and director of Cultures in Harmony, a nonprofit program through which he has led 40 cultural diplomacy projects in 16 countries. He is also a professor at...
read moreInternational Women’s Day Rally scheduled in Flint
By EVM Staff An International Women’s Day Rally is scheduled for this Saturday, March 8 at noon in Flint’s Willson Park. The event was organized by community members Megan Ropeta and Samantha J.L. Siebert and features a roster of performers and speakers, including Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet of Michigan’s 8th District. “Megan Ropeta had the idea that our community needed this event, and we were connected by a mutual friend. It has truly been one of the best partnerships of my life,” said Siebert in a March 6...
read morePress Release: City of Flint, Legal Services of Eastern Michigan to host free property tax foreclosure clinic
By EVM Staff The City of Flint is teaming up with Legal Services of Eastern Michigan and First Ward City Councilman Leon El-Alamin to offer a free property tax foreclosure clinic this Friday, March 7, 2025. According to a City of Flint press release on Tuesday, the event is meant to “assist residents in understanding their rights and exploring options to avoid foreclosure” and will take place from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the City of Flint Service Center, located at 4805 Clio Rd. “This clinic will provide free legal advice and...
read moreFlintNOW Fund announces over $1.5m in grants to support the Flint community
By EVM Staff The FlintNOW Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint (CFGF) announced its first round of grant funding in mid-February, totaling $1,595,000, to support what it called “essential programs” in the Flint community. The grants range from $50,000 to $500,000 to multiple organizations for projects in healthcare, education, and well-being: Communities First, Inc. was awarded $120,000 to support Safe Play at the Community Enrichment Center. The program provides safe recreational spaces and equipment for children in...
read moreMott Community College to host free screening of ‘St. John Street: Story of a Neighborhood’
By Kate Stockrahm Mott Community College (MCC) will host a screening of the new PBS documentary “St. John Street: Story of a Neighborhood” on February 26, 2025. The documentary features first-person interviews “chronicling families in Flint who built a vibrant community” on the city’s north side before urban renewal and Interstate-475 displaced the more than 7,000, mostly Black residents that called the St. John neighborhood home. Filmmaker Justin Brown, who produced the film alongside fellow MCC faculty member Rodney Brown, said although...
read moreEducation Beat: Last month at the Flint Ed. Board: a first step for Central, officer elections, bye bye to the balanced calendar, a $700k settlement and more
By Harold C. Ford By any measure, January 2025 was a consequential month for Flint Community Schools (FCS) and its school board. Most newsworthy, perhaps, was a kick-start to the possible reopening of long-abandoned Flint Central High School, which EVM covered earlier this month. Other important developments included the election of officers by the Flint Board of Education (FBOE), abandonment of the district’s balanced calendar, a $700,000 settlement with Johnson Controls, Inc., and consideration of a peer mediation agreement with the...
read more2025: What will the year bring in politics?
By Paul Rozycki During President Trump’s first weeks in office, we’ve seen more than 1,600 pardons; dozens of executive orders on everything from oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to withdrawing from the World Health Organization; tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China; the firing or dismissal of federal employees; pausing (and unpausing) of federal grants; and suggestions that the U.S. should take over Greenland, the Panama Canal, and make Canada its 51st state… So, it’s risky to try to predict what the next 10 months...
read moreEducation Beat: Flint Community Schools moves to upgrade, reopen Flint Central campus
By Harold C. Ford Flint Community Schools (FCS) is taking preliminary steps toward an upgrade and reopening of its Flint Central High School campus, which was shuttered by the district in 2009. With a unanimous 7-0 vote at its Jan. 22, 2025 meeting, the Flint Board of Education (FBOE) approved a contract with Plante Moran Realpoint (PMR) to begin preliminary work at a cost of $120,000, or $15,000 monthly over an eight-month period. PMR is a subsidiary of Plante Moran, a Detroit-based firm that has provided FCS consulting services for several...
read moreThe East Village Magazine – February 2025
The February 2025 issue of #EastVillageMagazine is hitting newsstands soon! Can’t wait for your issue? Click below for a digital copy now. Happy reading! View...
read moreParks & Rec in Flint and Beyond: Kelly Lake Park
By Christina Collie This is the third in a series about parks and recreational areas to explore in Flint and surrounding areas within 20 miles, presented in no particular order. Kelly Lake Park 4345 Lapeer Rd Burton, MI 48509 Hours: Dawn – Dusk In my opinion, Kelly Lake Park is a true gem. Nestled in the middle of a residential subdivision and flanked by the sights and sounds of I-69, if you’re going too fast, you’ll drive right past the park sign and dirt road entrance. It’s that well hidden. Despite being smaller than the other two...
read moreLibrary to host ‘Literacy Festival’
By EVM Staff The Gloria Coles Flint Public Library will host a Literacy Festival this Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. “In celebration of literacy and to encourage a community of readers, we invite you to meet children’s author Rae Chesny, adult author Jamila Minnicks and create songs with local musician Anthony Feimster,” the library’s press release states. “Rae Chesny will share her children’s book Zora’s Garden and copies will be available for families while supplies last.” The release goes on to explain that Minnicks...
read morePRESS RELEASE: Mott Community College trustees welcome new members, elect officers
The Mott Community College (MCC) Board of Trustees on Jan. 27 held the official swearing-in ceremony for two new Board members and a third member who was re-elected to a full term. The organizational meeting is held every two years for the purpose of swearing in new Trustees, electing officers and assigning committee membership. Newly elected Trustees Kenyetta Dotson, of Flint, and Candice Miller, of Burton, and returning Trustee Jeffrey Swanson, of Flint, were sworn-in by Genesee County Circuit Judge Mary A. Hood. All three were elected to...
read moreCity releases candidate list for Third Ward Flint City Council position
By EVM Staff The official candidate list for the currently vacant Third Ward Flint City Council seat has been released. According to a City of Flint press release citing the Genesee County Clerk’s information, the four candidates are Beverly L. Biggs-Leavy, A.C. (Arlington) Dumas, LaShawn R. Johnson, and Richard F. Jones. The primary election for the position will be held this May with the final election taking place in August. The seat has been vacant since Councilman Quincy Murphy’s passing on September 30, 2024....
read moreVillage Life: New year, new resolutions
By Kate Stockrahm I’ve always had mixed feelings about new year’s resolutions. On the one hand, I feel foolish pretending the change of a calendar date will motivate me to do all the things I should (but don’t) do anyway, like drink more water or eat less red meat. But on the other hand, what’s so awful about setting goals? A quick Google search of “new year’s resolutions” brings up many of the things we promise ourselves we’ll start doing every January: “save more money,” “eat healthier,” and “spend more time with family,” all fall into the...
read moreThe East Village Magazine – January 2025
The East Village Magazine will arrive at newsstands and homes soon, but you can get an early sneak peak below: View...
read moreEducation Beat: Flint Schools: Academic improvement clouded by financial challenges
By Harold C. Ford During his recent visit to Flint Community Schools (FCS), Michigan Superintendent of Instruction Michael Rice both lauded the district’s recent academic achievements and tempered that praise with concerns around the district’s budget. “I want to commend the district for progress under the partnership agreement,” Rice said during an appearance before the Flint Board of Education (FBOE) on Dec. 18, 2024. Initially, FCS found itself in an expanded partnership with the Michigan Department of Education in July 2018 after being...
read moreDeadlock and Dysfunction: Flint City Council and beyond
By Paul Rozycki I don’t know if the Guinness Book of World Records awards the longest series of votes by a government body that resolved nothing, but, if it does, Flint City Council should be in the running. Within the last few months the council voted 449 times in an attempt to select a presiding officer and failed to do so, as reported by Mid-Michigan Now. It also failed to fill the vacant seat of Councilman Quincy Murphy, who passed away in late September, after 131 rounds of voting, according to Mlive. After all those votes, the council...
read moreParks & Rec in Flint and Beyond: Kearsley Park
By Christina Collie This is the second in a series about parks and recreational areas to explore in Flint and surrounding areas within 20 miles, presented in no particular order. Kearsley Park 1830 Kearsley Park Blvd Flint, MI 48504 Hours: Dawn – Dusk With snow on its way, my editor asked if I could write about a park with a sledding option this month. I’ve had others mention to me that they remember sledding at Kearsley Park as a kid, so I thought this would be a good time to write about this gem. (Oh, and the sledding hill is...
read moreWith City Council at odds, City of Flint to select a ‘Third Ward Ambassador’
By EVM Staff Since the late Councilman Quincy Murphy’s passing in September 2024, Flint’s Third Ward has been without representation on Flint City Council. While Murphy’s seat is meant to be filled through Council action, there has been no final vote on the matter despite charter mandates, and the City has decided to step in and take action. In a Dec. 27, 2024 press release, the City stated: Flint City Officials understand the importance of all residents being represented and having a voice. The third ward of Flint has been...
read moreFlint City Bucks add three University of Wisconsin standouts to 2025 roster
By Kate Stockrahm The Flint City Bucks have signed three University of Wisconsin players for the upcoming USL League Two (USL2) season, pending league and federation approval. If all is okayed, Ellis Jones, Thomas Raimbault, and Matthew Zachemski will join the Bucks after helping the University of Wisconsin Badgers to a 7-5-3 record, just one goal shy of Big Ten Tournament qualification. According to a Bucks press release just before the new year, Ellis Jones is sophomore defender who started 13 matches this past fall, scoring once. He is a...
read moreCommentary: How to explain the cult-like appeal of Trump
By Paul Rozycki For the last decade, since he rode down the escalator in Trump Tower in 2015, Donald Trump has been a dominant factor in American politics. He lost the popular vote but won an Electoral College victory in 2016. He lost both the popular vote and the Electoral College in 2020. Then, he won both in 2024. Above and beyond the specific factors that won Trump the victory this year, he has a unique cult-like following that perhaps no other president or candidate has ever had. In the years to come many books and articles will be...
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